Following his grandfather’s lead, singer Skip Marley is speaking out on contemporary social issues. He performed on the September 30 Actions For Change Food and Music Festival, held to mark the first anniversary of the horrific shooting in Parkland, Florida.
Marley was among headliners for the event, which took place at Pine Trails Park in Parkland. He told the Jamaica Observer that it was critical he supported students from Stoneman Douglas High School where 17 students and staff were killed in February 2017 by Nikolas Cruz, a former student at the school.
“It is very important. These youths are showing a lot of strength and courage after what they have been through, and I was honoured to be asked to perform with them and show my support,” he said.
Seventeen people were also injured in the incident, which sparked new calls for gun control in the United States.
Born in Kingston and raised in South Florida, 21-year-old Skip Marley is the son of Cedella Marley and grandson of reggae legend Bob Marley. He believes events like Actions for Change can make a difference to the growing US anti-gun lobby.
“It is definitely appropriate for us to all address it. This shooting happened in Parkland, but it is not isolated to here. We are the future; we have to be the ones to spark the movement now to hopefully bring a better tomorrow,” he said.
Also performing at the show were Michael Franti and Spearhead, Friends of Peter Yarrow, Nahko, Carrie Manolakos, Ocean Park Standoff, and Sordid Fable.
Shine MSD, a group featuring Stoneman Douglas High School students Sawyer Garrity and Andrea Pena, also took the stage to do their song Shine.
Skip Marley, who is known for songs Lion and Chained to The Rhythm(done with Katy Perry), is currently working on his first album.